Sunken-vessel-locating device.



J. BRANECKY.

SUNKEN VESSEL LOCATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

1,204,842. Patented NW1@ 1916.

1m: Names rnsns m. ruamumnl. wunmcmu. n n' narran ,nnro- JAHN BRANECKY, 0F ELDREI), PENNSYLVANIA..

SUNKEN-VESSEL-LGGATING DEVECE.

Lacasse.

Application iiled February 2, 1916.

To all whom t may cof/ccm Be it known that l, Jai-1N BRANECKY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Eldred, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sunken-Tessel-liocating Devices, of which the following is a speciiication.

T his invention relates to new and useful improvements in slinken vessel locating devices.

rJ'Che primary object of the invention is the provision of an inexpensive device adapted to be carried by a boat or vessel for the purpose of not only locating its position when sunk to the bottom of the water but also to sound an audible alarm whereby its approximate location is brought to the attention of near-by vessels.

A further object of the device is to provide an attachment for boats so that their submerged position is readily noted and provision made for assisting in raising the vessel, the device being serviceable both in the time of peace and war.

rIhe device therefore broadly contemplates a tioating beil buoy adapted for automatic ringing by the action of the waves and normally carried freely positioned upon the decl; of a vessel, the buoy being attached thereto by a desirable length of line whereby upon sinking of the vessel, the buoy rides upon the waves and sounds an alarm for denoting the position of the sunken craft.

Vith these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangernent of parts hereinafter fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer t'o corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a radial sectional view through one of the buoys, the bell being shown in side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

A plurality of floats or buoys 13 are provided and each comprises a thin metallic casing 14 of light weight having an air or gas containing chamber 15 therein being of flattened spheroiclal shape.

Apost 16 is provided extending axially of the shell 14: at the side thereof which is Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Nov. 1st, 1916.

Serial No. 75,692.

normally arranged uppermost, a bell 17 being arranged encircling the said post and secured to the top thereof by means of a screw 18.

ein attaching ring 19 is carried b v the casing 1lupon the opposite side thereof from and in axial alinenient. with the aforementioned post '1G and is provided with a flexible attaching means that may extend to a sunken vessel.

Clappers 25 are pivoted to lugs 26 arranged around the periphery of the buoy shell 11 and at equal distances apart having hammers 27 at their free ends adapted for striking the bell 17. Flattened feet or paddles extend angularly from the clappers 25 and outwardly of the pivoting lugs 26 thereof, the paddles 28 being normally held horizontal and the clappers 25 out of engagement with the bell 17 by means of U-shaped springs 29 secured to the shell 14 between the lugs 26 and engaging the adjacent sides of the said clapper and paddle.

Then the buoy l?)4 is arranged floating upon the water the weight of the line as well as its attachment to the sunken vessel will retain the buoy upright and with the bell 17 uppermost, while the paddles 28 will be positioned approximately upon the surface of the water when the latter is perfectly calm but the action of any slight waves upon the water will move the paddles 28 relatively to each other and upon their pivot lugs 26 so as .to bring the hammers 27 in violent contact with the bell 17, thus sounding an audible alarm. Each of t-he buoys 13 being provided with a plurality of clappers, will result in ay substantially continuous ringing of the bell 17 of each buoy 13 so that such an operation of all of the buoys will provide a loud signal whereby the presence of the buoys will be located by any passing vessel.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, propor tion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new is 1. A device of the class described comprising a hollow float of spheroidal shape, a bell-supporting post carried by said iioat, a bell carried by said post, line attaching around the equator thereof, paddles projecting from said clappers normallyY positioned in a plane'parallel'to the equator of the: shell, and springs for holdingV said Vpaddles in their normal positions Vand the'clappers out ot' Contact with thebell. Y Y

A vessel locating device oomprisinga metallic hollowr float of spheroidal shape, an attaching ring axially positioned upon the lower side of the said float, a post axially projecting from the opposite side of the said float, a bellsecured to the said post, clappers .i'or the said bell pivoted equal distances apart adjacent the outer edge of the said float,V paddles projecting angularly from the said clappers normally Vhorizontally positioned when the float is at rest with the clappers out of engagementwith the said bell, andl U-shaped positioning springs for the said clappers and paddles carriedrby the upper side of the said iioat adjacentV the points of VVVpivotal connection of the Vsaid clappers post carrying Yside Vor the said shell adjacent its equator, clappers pivoted to the said lugs and having engaging hammers for the said bell at VVtheir free ends, paddles angularly projecting from the said clappers outwardly Y of the said lugs and -normally positioned in a plane parallel to that of the said equator of the shell and with the hammers out of engagement With Vthe said bell, and'normally Vpositioning U-shaped springs carried by the shell between the said lugs in resilient contact with the adjacent Vclapper and paddle.

In testimony whereof l aflix my signature.

JAHN BRANECKY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five Veentsreaeh, by'addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. Y Y 

